Method of lining tunnels with concrete and apparatus therefor



June 1929- R. c. HACKLEY METHOD OF LINING TUNNELS WITH CONCRETE ANDAPPARATUS THEREFOR Original Filed March 26, 1924 2 Sheets-SheetINVENTOR.

BY r ATTORNEYS.

June 4, 1929. R. c. HACKLEY 1,716,125

METHOD OF LINING TUNNELS WITH CONCRETE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR OriginalFiled March 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i M$5MMmW a i IN V EN TOR.

' A TTORNEYS.

Patented June 4, 1922.

UNlTE STATES nane FFICE.

ROY C. HACKLEY, OF BERK ELEY, CALIFORNIA.

Original application filed March 26, 1924, Serial No. 702,056. Dividedand this application filed February This invention relates to a methodof lining tunnels with concrete, and an apparatus therefor, and is adivision of my application Serial Number 702,056, filed March 26, 1924,which resulted in Patent 1,619,297 of March 1,1927.

The object of the present invention is to provide a rapid, economicaland efficient method and apparatus whereby tunnels and like structuresmay be lined and if desired reinforced with concrete.

The invention embodies the forming of concrete footings at each side ofa tunnel; the use of a trackway between the footings; the setting ofanchor bolts in the concrete footings; the use of collapsible formswhich are adapted to be supported by the concrete footings and securedby the anchor bolts; the use of a portable carriage movable on thetrackway whereby the forms may be raised into position and similarlylowered and removed after use; a concrete gun with an extended dischargepipe for delivering concrete to the forms when in place, and a portablecarriage for the gun and discharge pipe movable on the trackway andindependent of the forms and the carriage co-operating therewith.

The construction of the apparatus employed and the method of setting theforms supporting the same and of delivering the concrete thereto will bedescribed in detail, having reference to the accompanying specificationand drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a tunnel showing the forms in placeand also the position of the concrete gun when delivering concretethereto. 7

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the tunnel, said section showing thecarriage whereby the molds or forms are raised into position and wherebythey are lowered and removed.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the concrete Fig. 4 is an end-view of thesame.

b Fig. 5 is a plan view of the distributing Fig. 6 is an end view of thesame.

Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the form employed when pouring footingconcrete.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2,A indicates the bottom of the tunnel and 2 the arch or top thereof, thegeneral sectional contour of the tunnel being shownin Fig. 2.

Adapted to be placed within the tunnel are Serial No. 167,934.

a series of collapsible forms such as indicated at B, and adapted todeliver concrete thereto are a concrete gun C and a discharge pipe D.The concrete gun is carried by the carriage and similarly the dischargepipe D. The discharge pipe is extended in some instances as much asfifty feet or more, and it is supported in its extended position bymeans of a structural beam in the form of a cantilever as indicated atE, the discharge pipe being supported in such an elevated position thatit is adapted to pass inwardly between the roof of the tunnel and thetop of the forms, thus permitting a number of forms to be set up beforethe pouring of the concrete is commenced.

The apparatus employed is operated by air under pressure and embodiesmeans for controlling the pressure and flow of the air which isdelivered to the chamber of the concrete gun. This gun receives amixture of concrete in predetermined batches, and the concrete isdischarged through the pipe when air pressure is applied. The pipeextends inwardly between the roof of the tunnel and the top of the moldsor forms, and as such delivers the concrete where required; theoperation of the device being such that a predetermined section orlength of the tunnel may be lined with concrete in a minimum of time.

The concreting operations are carried on in two states; first, a set offootings, is constructed, then the sides, and the arch. Ingeneral, themethod is as follows: Behind the shovel which takes out the mainexcavation, the carpenters set a six by eight inch timber on either sideof the tunnel, as shown at 3 in Fig. 2; the timbers being set to exactline and grade at a certain distance out from the center line of thetunnel. Rails of suitable size, such as shown at 3 are spiked to thesetimbers and these rails form a trackway for a carriage which willhereinafter be referred to as a jumbo, the jumbo being indicated ingeneral at F. This carriage is the advance guard for the liningequipment, and is provided with a working platform 4 on which aremounted pneumatically driven machinery, such as drills, hammers,chippers, etc. This pneumatic machinery is used to trim ofi any pointsof rock which may have been overlooked in the main excavation.

The jumbo also carries a horseshoe-shaped template which is used to testclearances; any point of rock, for instance, within twelve inchesof thistemplate, must be trimmed ofi.

After the trim jumbo has passed, the rock is thoroughly washed withwater under pressure, and the steel footing forms are set on the timbers3. These forms are constructed of sections ten feet long, about two feetwide, and as a rule, one hundred feet are set up at one time. Atintervals of two and one-half feet, anchor bolts are inserted throughholes provided in I the forms. The footing concrete indicated at 5 isthen poured on each side of the tunnel and is permitted to set. Theforms are then removed and the anchor ing bolts are thus left in the setconcrete and will project outwardly for a distance of approximately sixinches, these bolts being employed for the purpose of supporting theside and arch forms, as will later be described.

The footings are also provided with keyways or recesses, as shown at 6,so that a good bond is made with the sides and arch when the main liningconcrete is finally poured.

A suitable mixer is employed at the portal of the tunnel, and concreteis brought into the tunnel or to the concrete gun in cars having asuitable capacity, for instance three cubic yards, the cars hauling theconcrete being pulled by electric or gasoline-driven locomotives orother means, as may be desired. Thesecars are also employed for thepurpose of delivering concrete when the footings are being poure Afterthe footing concrete has set, usually about six days, the steel archforms generally indicated at B are placed in position. These forms havea suitable width, for instance ten feet, and each consists of sectionswhich are hinged together as indicated at 7, there being three sections,to-wit,-an arch section 8 and two side sections 9. The hinging of thesections is of considerable importance, as it permits the forms to becollapsed and to be passed under sections still in place. The forms aresupported by a traveller or carriage such as indicated at Gr. Thistraveller runs on the rails, and its deck is provided with four jackssuch as indicated at 10, which are em ployed for the purpose of raisingand lowering the form sections.

The lower ends of the forms are secured to the footing concrete by meansof the anchor bolts already referred to, and they are secured by nutswhen in place. To remove the forms, the nuts are taken ofi, thusallowing the sides to swing in on their hinges. The whole form may thenbe lowered by the jacks and the distance which they are lowered is thatindicated in Fig. 2, which shows that it is sufli' cient to allow thecarriage, together with the form supported thereby, to pass through theforms remaining in place. The forms can thus be advanced when theconcrete has set 'sufliciently to permit their removal, and theoperation of setting the forms and pouring the concrete may thus befairly continuous.

Any suitable means may be employed for the two ends of the cable up anddown the tunnel it is also possible to employ the cable for the purposeof moving the gun carriage and the jumbo.

Five ten-foot sections or molds are usually set up between each move ofthe concrete gun and its carriage. The first of the section is set upten feet ahead of the end of the previous pour, and by the time foursections have been set, the whole bulkhead can be removed and the fifthsection placed in the gap; that is, a bulkhead must be placed betweenthe last form and the sides and roof of the tunnel when the concrete isbeing poured, as the concrete would otherwise run out through the sides.A new bulkhead is thus placed in position whenever a new set of forms ismoved into place.

The bulkheads found most convenient for this sort of work consist ofshort pieces of one-inch boards, which are secured to the end of thelast steel form by means of angle-iron bolted to the same.

The concrete gun is set at one side of the carriage supporting the sameand at a point so low that concrete may be delivered thereto by gravityfrom the threecubic yard cars. A short movable chute connects the cargate and the gun, so gravity delivery to the gun is possible. When thegun has received 1ts charge the door is closed by a cover or heavyclamp, and air pressure at 110 pounds per square inch is admittedthrough sultable means. The concrete leaves the gun through thedischargepipe D, the pipe running on easy curves to the top center of the tunnelarch, where it passes over the forms for a d stance of approximatelyfifty feet. The discharge end of the pipe terminates in a box such asindicated at 18 (see Figs. 5 and 6) from which the concrete passes toeither or both sides of the forms as desired.

The distributor box extends at right angles to the discharge pipe and isprovided with a gate 18, adapted to be inserted at either side of thedischarge pipe, so as to control the d1- rection of discharge of theconcrete. Thereby the concrete may be made to discharge 1n eitherdirection at'right angles to the discharge pipe, or the gate may beremoved and the concrete allowed to discharge in both directions.

This box, with its open ends, serves as a baflle or stop to slow up theconcrete and prevent it from being scattered over the arch forms. Theair which has finished its work escapes without building up pressure inan undesirable way, while the right angle turn which the concrete mustmake to pass out of the box slows down the mass just enough so in thepipe itself. The weight of the entire apparatus from gun to dischargeend of the pipe is supported by the carriage. way the weight is takencare of by the tracks which also support the jumbo and theformsupporting carriage previously referred to. By this apparatus. it ispossible to place the concrete in the arch anywhere within a range offifty feet, thus keeping it level and evenly distributed.

The concrete gun proper may be of any suitable type.

The container is provided with a filling opening through whicheach'batch of concrete is delivered, and the opening is in turn providedwith a closure, such as generally indicated at 30, which is securelyfastened when air under pressure is delivered to the interior of thecontainer. The forward end of the container is provided with acone-shaped nozzle, as shown at 31, and this is in turn flan ed asindicated at 32, to permit the steel disc arge-pipe D to be connectedthereto. A smooth, continuous, uninterrupted passage is thus formed.between the interior of the container and the discharge-pipe, andchoking or blocking .of the nozzle is thus prevented.

Having thus described my invention,what

claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An apparatus of thecharacter described, comprising forms spaced from the walls of a tunnel,a concrete gun,

In this a carriage therefor,

a cantilever beam extending. forwardly from the carriage, a conveyerpipe connected with the gun and having a horizontally extending sectionsupported by said beam and adapted to be positioned between the formsand the tunnel walls, a distributor on the discharge end of the conveyerpipe having lateral discharge openings, and means to control saiddischarge openings, whereby the concrete may be discharged laterally ineither or both directions.

2. An apparatus for introducing concrete between a tunnel bore andsupporting forms spaced therefrom, comprising a concrete gun, arelatively long conveyer pipe connected to said gun and hayipg ahorizontally extending section adapted to be supported between the formsof the tunnel and the boring of the tunnel at the top of the latter, adistributor for the dischargeend of the pipe, comprising a box-extendingat right angles to the pipe and open at either end, and means forcontrolling'said openings, whereby concrete may be discharged laterallyin either or both directions.

3. An apparatus for use in lining tunnels, comprising in combinationforms spaced from the walls of the tunnel, a concrete gun, a carriagetherefor, a relatively long conveyer pipe extending from the gunlongitudinally of the tunnel and occupying a horizontal position betweenthe forms and the Wall of the tunnel at the top of the latter, wherebythe pipe may be moved back and forth when the carriage is operated, anddistributor means on the end of the pipe, open at its sides to permitmaterial to be discharged laterally of the pipe in either direction, andclosed at its forward portion to prevent the material frombeingdischarged in a direction longitudinally of the pipe.

ROY C. HACKLEY.

